The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-09-28
LEADVILLE.
LIFE IN COLORADO'S NOTED
MINING TOWN.
A Part of the Place Given over
to Gambling Dcns Play
ing of All Kinds-Dr.
Talmages Visit.

morals and its vices, and the relations be-
tween them are somewhat peculiar. It's
submitted without argument that COM
munity which sends the President OF Its
First National Bank to the penitcntlary
for ten years cannot be said to be without
considerable moral tone. Leadville dld
lust that with man who had betrayed
trust, and so far has rcsolutcly refused
to ioin in q sentimental movement 1or
pardon. An assayer of good position,
who had loaned his science to con-
spiracy for stealing rich ore, followed the
banker down the Grand Canyon and into
retirement behind the bars. Nine officials
and Others have gone the same way Tor
plundering employers. The Leadvllle
code is not an extensive one, but justice
follows swift and sure upon infractlons OF
it. Having decided to tolerate gambling,
Leadville does so in the most open n-handed
manner. Some of the best locations on
the avenue are given up to the votarles OF
tickle fortune. The doors are thrown
wide open and from the street can be
seen at any time the green tables sur
rounded by the players, while the Click
of the chips and the Rawlings of the man
at the keno goose fall upon the ears OF
the passer-by. Gambling in Leadvllle Is
a business.
"Our running expenses" said Con
Featherly, one of the proprietors Of the
Texas, sare $500 a month. When the
house opened in 1879 it ran behind
steadily for six months, and came pretty
near going under. Then it took a turn
for the better and ran ahead. If we take
in SIS, 900 or $50, q month we are
pretty we'll satisfied That pays rum
ming expenses and leaves margin for
profit" -,
Downstairs there is the bar on one side,
gorgeous with its mammoth mirror and
its array of cut glass. A lunch counter
Just across the way is also doing busl-
ness. On blackboards are displayed the
scores of the days baseball games, the
results of the races, and the grain and
stock quotations from the East. To the
night is room with half a dozen games
of faro in progress, and open TO all corners.
Back OF The faro room is the business Of
fee of the establishment. Then comes
long, high chamber, where hundred
men try, hour after hour, toput i've but
tons in a row on G numbered card, While
aloud-voiced young man whirls the goose
and calls out the number on each little
ball as it falls into his hand. There are
electric devices to show at glance the
exact number of cards taken out and the
consequent pot to 60 to the holder OF the
winning card. This is keno. 1t is the
popular game, and the noisy one as well,
SO the PLAYERS are shut into big room
by themselves. But faro and keno are
only two of the games which the Texas
provides for its patrons. Adjoining the
keno room the roulette has its corner,
and man whirls the wheel and the
marble in opposite directions, reciting in
q low, well-modulatcd voice:
"Black or red, odd or even, high or
low. Thirty-fve for a single number.
Round and round the little ball goes.
Roll it for yourself if you like"
Roulette, the great game of the Euro
pean resorts, is not popular in Leadvllle.
Now and then young c:erk or a labor
ing man will stop and risk dollar on
the black or red, but the play is seldom
heavy. The fact is. the wheel is rather
under suspicion in the Western country.
Smart gamblers have been able to Tx 1t
up by magnetism and electrical currents
80 that the the little marble found its
way too often to the single or the 90,
both of which sweep the board for the
house. BIexicans like roulette, but
Americans give it wide berth. The
dice table, where the dealer sits behind
q monstrous box and rattles down the
eubes. is better patronized. "Stud-horsc
poker" has some admirers, but straight
poker is always sure of tableful. In
the rooms on the first floor everybody
comes and goes at will. Men reach over
each others shoulders to lay down there
bets. Up stlirs there are rooms better
furnished for those who prefer to be
little more secluded. Down stairs is for
the crowd. Up stairs is for the heavy
betters.
"The largest winning at a single set
ting that l remember" said Mr.. Fcath-
erly, after taking few moments 10
consider the question, ''was $13, 600. l
recollect big game we had one Satur
day night in the front room. We had
been playing all the evening, and about
II o'clock there was some talk of stop
ping. The house was out So, 500 on the
game. One or two of the players started
to 90, but came back and said that it
was showing so that man couldn't sec
ten feet ahead of him. So the game was
kept up all night until o'clock Sunday
morning, and when we stopped the
house was $40, 900 ahead besides rccov-
ering the $3, 500 behind at II o'clock
the night before.
Talmage visited Leadville once, and it
fell to the lot of the good Major Bohn
to show him the town. II want 10 see
it all, said the preacher, and the Major
gave up two nights to the job. Some
time after midnight of the second round
the pair drew up in front of the hotel.
"Have I seen eEcrything?' asked the
divine.
"Everything,n replied the Major con-
scientionsly-
II have been much instructed, - said
the preacher.
He had Summed" extensively in
New York, but he admitted that Lead
vile could give him points. Standing
on Harrison avenue and looking west
ward along State street the visitor has
spread before him district of few
hundred yards which contains more con
centrated wickedness than any similar
strip of ground on tine American, CONT
nent, New York not barred. Vice here
displays her most hideeus micn, and is
rapturo,sly embraced The locality Is
xr-sfb those who